Non Fiction Books

Book SynopsisSir Trevor McDonald is one of Britain''s most celebrated broadcasters and his devotion for cricket is almost as well known as his legendary professional achievements.In this inspirational memoir, On Cricket, Sir Trevor explores his childhood in the Caribbean and celebrates his life-long love of the sport that followed him no matter where in the world his illustrious journalistic career would take him.Sir Trevor offers a wide-ranging commentary on cricket as a common language between England, the West Indies and beyond - a sense of belonging that knows no borders - and celebrates cricket as an engine of national identity and an essential feature of daily life and community.An exceptional storyteller and commentator, On Cricket is a love letter to the sport and a study of Sir Trevor''s oldest and most consistent passion: watching, debating and playing the gentleman''s game.

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Book SynopsisThe world-renowned classic that has enthralled and delighted millions of readers with its timeless tales of gods and heroes.Edith Hamilton''s mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek, Roman and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture-the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.We follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus. We hear the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche, and mighty King Midas. We discover the origins of the names of the constellations. And we recognize reference points for countless works for art, literature and culture inquiry--from Freud''s Oedipus complex to Wagner''s Ring Cycle of operas to Eugene O''Neill''s Mourning Becomes Electra.Both a reference text for scholars of all ages and a book to simply enjoy, Mythology is a classic not to be missed.

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Book Synopsis'This is a fascinating book ... it will no doubt be a great source of entertainment around many a dinner table' – She Magazine______________________________A Sunday Times top-ten title in 2008 and a bestseller ever since, I Used to Know That has continued to delight readers with its pages of forgotten facts from our school days.I Used to Know That is an ideal and accessible reference guide for adults wanting to brush up on their lost knowledge – or prepare for a pub quiz!If you've forgotten the capital city of Chile; the basics of osmosis; how to solve a quadratic equation; who wrote the famous poem about daffodils; the use of a conjunction or the number of continents in the world, I Used to Know That is guaranteed to provide all the answers.Trade ReviewAmusing but useful... I am not the only one planning to keep it on my desk to avoid any intellectually embarrassing moments * The Scotsman *a droll personal audit of how much - or how little - of school learning lingers on into later life... it is not only fun to dip into, it is a mine of useful information... It's all there, easily found, clearly laid out * The Oldie *This is a fascinating book... it will no doubt be a great source of entertainment around many a dinner table * She *A fun and witty collection of snippets of information we 'used to know' from school * Essentials *This is an absorbing volume of familiar facts and figures you may well have forgotten... If the answers are just out of reach, but you know them really, this is the book for you * Sainsbury's Magazine *It is a fascinating read and you might even learn a few things you missed out on first time around * Townswoman Magazine *It covers everything we should remember from school but don't * The Western Mail *could help you connect with your childhood, boost your brainpower and remind your kids just how clever you are * Irish News *[an] entertaining rag-bag of a book, a sort of cocktail of half-remembered things from your schooldays * Birmingham Evening Mail *

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Book SynopsisA FINALIST FOR THE US NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2023 FOR NONFICTION 'Profoundly personal as well as historically significant ... In his moral clarity and baring of the heart, Shehadeh recalls writers such as Ghassan Kanafani and Primo Levi' Hisham Matar, New York Times Aziz Shehadeh was many things: lawyer, activist, and political detainee, he was also the father of bestselling author and activist Raja. In this new and searingly personal memoir, Raja Shehadeh unpicks the snags and complexities of their relationship. A vocal and fearless opponent, Aziz resists under the British mandatory period, then under Jordan, and, finally, under Israel. As a young man, Raja fails to recognise his father's courage and, in turn, his father does not appreciate Raja's own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights. When Aziz is murdered in 1985, it changes Raja irrevocably. This is not only the story of the battle against the various oppressors of the Palestinians, but a moving portrait of a particular father and son relationship.Trade ReviewPowerful ... It's a mark of Shehadeh's brilliance that this latest revisiting is full of surprises: it's even in tone, but jet-fuelled by implicit emotion; there's no conventional suspense, but it is absolutely gripping ... masterly -- Rachel Aspden * Guardian *A striking story of loss, heartbreak and political perfidy ... This is a tragedy within a tragedy, of a father and son who, despite their similarities, failed to understand one another, against the backdrop of dispossession of the Palestinian people -- Lara Marlowe * Irish Times *Highly readable ... thought-provoking * Observer *Slim but powerful - rich in recent historical detail with a poignant personal trauma threading in and out of it. This is a Palestinian memoir that will endure -- Gerald Butt * Church Times *Praise for the author: 'Palestine's greatest prose writer * Observer *Going Home cements the author's reputation as the best-known Palestinian writing in English * Guardian *Luminously clear-sighted ... By turns lyrical, witty and shrewd, Shehadeh is an excellent walking companion * Prospect *Shehadeh is a great inquiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholy and wise -- Colm TóibínRaja Shehadeh is a buoy in a sea of bleakness -- Rachel Kushner

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Book SynopsisThe world's best-selling annual wine guide.'The perfect stocking filler' Decanter'The best single wine book on earth' CounselHugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book is the essential reference book for everyone who buys wine - in shops, restaurants, or on the internet. Now in its 47th year of publication, it has no rival as the comprehensive, up-to-the-minute annual guide.Providing clear succinct facts and commentary on the wines, growers and wine regions of the whole world, the book also reveals which vintages to buy, which to drink and which to cellar, which growers to look for and why. Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine 2024 gives clear information on grape varieties, local specialities and how to match food with wines that will bring out the best in both.This latest edition of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine includes a colour supplement on Chardonnay, the world's most obliging grape, discussing everything from history and taste to texture, fashion and the role oak plays - and of course who makes the best Chardonnays around the world.

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Book SynopsisHarness the power of the magical, mystical, glorious Moon with more than 100 spells, chants, and rituals, along with Esbat celebrations for the Full Moon. The Moon is one of our most prominent and ancient symbols. It has shaped how we understand and track time, its movement controls the tides, and its rise into the sky signals the coming of night. The distinct phases of the lunar cycle have associations with different states of being. These states mirror a kind of spiritual quest which, like our search for ourselves, never ends. When we observe the Moon, we see reflections of the grand pattern of life that is birth, death, and rebirth. With this invaluable handbook filled with enchantingly beautiful illustrations, follow the Moon as she traverses each sign of the zodiac and discover how each astrological phase affects magic—and how your personal Moon sign affects your magical work. The discussions include the influence of the seldom-discussed energies of the Blue Moon, the Black Moon, and lunar eclipses. Each Moon phase is explored individually to cover the phase’s main themes along with Moon rituals, intention setting, and practical ways to celebrate and manifest health, wealth, and confidence. With specific suggestions for each phase, you’ll discover a variety of tools for harnessing moon magic, including: Traditional lunar herbs such as lavender, angelica, mugwort, and sage to magnify and support your intentions Crystals and gemstones to raise your personal vibration and enhance your intuitive powers Essential oils and candles to match your mood or intention and add vibrational power to your spells and rituals You’ll soon be using spells during each moon phase for things like: Conquering change (New Moon) Living joyfully (Waxing Moon) Romantic love (Full Moon) Banishing bad (Waning Moon) Open your arms to Mother Moon, and allow her to take you into hers, with Moon Magic. The Mystical Handbook series from Wellfleet takes you on a magical journey through the wonderful world of spellcraft and spellcasting. Explore a new practice with each volume and learn how to incorporate spells, rituals, blessings, and cleansings into your daily routine. These portable companions feature beautiful foil-detail covers and color-saturated interiors on a premium paper blend. Other books in the series include: Moon Magic Journal, Witchraft, Love Spells, Knot Magic, Superstitions, House Magic, Herbal Magic, Book of Shadows, and Goddess Magic. Trade Review"An impressively informative and inherently fascinating read." * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION THE MAGICAL MOON AND HER POWERS THE FULL MOON AND OTHER MAGICAL MOON PHASES CULTURAL BELIEFS, GODDESSES, AND WICCA HARNESSING MOON MAGIC WITH HERBS AND NATURE HARNESSING MOON MAGIC WITH CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES HARNESSING MOON MAGIC WITH ESSENTIAL OILS AND CANDLES THE MOON, ASTROLOGY, AND TAROT WORKING YOUR MOON MAGIC WITH SIMPLE RITUALS AND SPELLS NEW MOON SPELLS WAXING MOON SPELLS FULL MOON SPELLS WANING MOON SPELLS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS RESOURCES AND REFERENCES INDEX

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2023 JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING''Unparalleled.'' THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE''A true masterpiece.'' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT''A tour de force.'' GUY SHRUBSOLE''Quietly courageous.'' PATRICK BARKHAM''Lyrical, wholehearted and wise.'' LEE SCHOFIELD''A knockout. I loved it.'' MELISSA HARRISON''Honest, raw and moving.'' SOPHIE PAVELLE''An extraordinary book by an extraordinary author.'' CHRIS JONES''A book of wit, wonder and of wisdom.'' NICK ACHESON''Beautiful.'' NICOLA CHESTERA visit to the rapid where she lost a cherished friend unexpectedly reignites Amy-Jane Beer''s love of rivers setting her on a journey of natural, cultural and emotional discovery.On New Year''s Day 2012, Amy-Jane Beer''s beloved friend Kate set out with a group of others to kayak the River Rawthey in Cumbria. Kate never came home, anTrade ReviewA true masterpiece; generous, elegant, acute, tender and furious. -- Charles Foster * Times Literary Supplement *The perfect commingling of deep research with sparkling observation and quiet eddies of feeling, helmed by a lifelong kayaker, biologist and all-round adventurous soul... small wonder The Flow is such a knockout. I loved it. * author of All Among the Barley *A rich mix of history and mythology, of science and nature writing at its very best. -- PD Smith * The Guardian *Our 2023 Nature Book of the Year winner is regrettably very topical, and every judge absolutely loved the book. The glorious detail and personal experiences, all written in such elegant and beautifully poetic language, was unparalleled. -- Alastair Giles * Director of the James Cropper Wainwright Prize *A quietly courageous, open-hearted exploration of Britain's becks, bourns and streams. -- Patrick Barkham * author of The Butterfly Isles *Lyrical, wholehearted and wise, The Flow is a hymn for the rivers of Britain. -- Lee Schofield * author of Wild Fell *Honest, raw and moving, Amy’s prose is as captivating as the rivers she describes. I thought I knew what rivers were, but this stunning book is a powerful reminder of their infinity, their mystery, and their bewildering complexity. -- Sophie Pavelle * author of Forget Me Not *The Flow moves deftly between deeply touching personal experience and carefully-researched erudition. It is a book of wit, of wonder and of wisdom. -- Nick Acheson, naturalist and conservationistThe Flow is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary author.In a golden age for nature writing, this stunning book is one of the very best. -- Ben Hoare * BBC Countryfile *A gutsy biologist with webbed feet, Amy-Jane Beer plunges the reader into rivers the length and breadth of Britain. We emerge bathed in wonder and full of fresh understanding. -- Derek Niemann * author of Birds in a Cage *Part memoir, part celebration of the many rivers and waters of Britain, The Flow is passionately alive – a work of tremendous range and scope by one of our finest writers about the living world. -- Caspar Henderson * author of The Book of Barely Imagined Beings *The Flow is a tour de force: blending crystal-clear prose with mythic poetry and a cascade of lucid facts, washed down with uplifting insights into life, death and the water that sustains us. -- Guy Shrubsole * author of Who Owns England? *A fascinating travelogue […] Beer’s prose has the luminous beauty of poetry, blending personal experience and absorbing research with a sense of awe. -- Hannah Beckerman * The Observer *Haunted by loss, The Flow is about the urgency of a life, land and love. -- Nicola Chester * author of On Gallows Down *From the incredibly moving opening scene, to a delightful conclusion, Amy-Jane Beer takes us on a journey on, in and through the waterways of Britain, in sparkling prose. A worthy successor to Roger Deakin's Waterlog. -- Stephen Moss * author of The Robin *The Flow is a wonderful book: as passionate as it is knowledgeable. From Yorkshire Derwent to Dart to Dee via the Zanskar, Amy-Jane Beer really does take us, in her phrase, ‘as close as we might ever get to being a river’. -- Mark Wormald * author of The Catch *A fascinating mix of research into our waterways and gut-wrenching emotion. I can’t find the words to do it justice: read it! -- Charlotte Smith, broadcaster * BBC Countryfile *With a poet’s gift for description, Beer makes her global travels vivid […] She’s got an ability to make even a small moment resonate, such as her child’s serendipitous discovery of a carnivorous sundew plant, with sharp prose and quick pacing. The result is an aquatic tour de force. * Publishers Weekly *Beer’s book examines the reverential place rivers hold in our culture and the stories hidden in their depths. -- Joe Shute * The Sunday Telegraph *A sublime and companionable meditation on nature’s processes. -- Charles Foster * Times Literary Supplement *I have read dozens of books about rivers and The Flow is one of the finest. -- David Profumo * Country Life *Necessary reading for us all. -- Julie Brominicks, landscape writer * BBC Countryfile *This erudite book is a joyous combination of science, nature, history, and mythology […] a genuinely moving voyage of discovery of our ecological and personal place in the nature that surrounds us. * Yorkshire Life *The Flow is an epic memoir that inspires awe for rivers and reveals their dual nature as both boundaries and portals. -- Kristine Morris * Foreword Reviews *Beer’s moving book is about water and landscapes as well as friendship, memory, loss and resilience. It is full of quiet wisdom and passion, and shows us what words can do when the personal and the ecological are blended organically. -- Elif Shafak * New Statesman *Water courses through biologist Amy-Jane Beer’s deep-dive into the lyrical beauty of Britain’s rivers. * Country & Town House *Simply beautiful. -- Stephen MossThe Flow is gutsy and profound from the off, with exquisite evocation of place, dives into deep time, moments of humour and surging anger at what we’ve done to our rivers. -- Ben Hoare * BBC Countryfile *As with all the best books about nature, The Flow is a marriage of two things: a hard-won knowledge of the subject and a rare ability to write beautifully [...] a warm and immersive book. -- Ian Carter * British Wildlife *Beautiful book. -- Nicola Chester * RSPB Magazine *Table of ContentsPrologue: Only water, moving on Chapter 1: Fresh and yet so very old Eddy: Snow dome Chapter 2: Torrent Eddy: Hollowing Chapter 3: Oak-water Eddy: Groundwater Chapter 4: Fly while we may Eddy: Dark water Chapter 5: Lines upon the land Meander: Bath toys Chapter 6: The meanings of water Eddy: Otter Chapter 7: The Bell Guy and the Gypsey Chapter 8: A willow grows aslant a brook Eddy: Minus seven Chapter 9: The cry of the Dart Meander: Flow Chapter 10: Trespassers will Eddy: Summer on the Nene Chapter 11: Chalk stream dreaming Eddy: Heron Chapter 12: Land covered by water Eddy: High water Chapter 13: Ouroboros Meander: Ghosts in the willows Chapter 14: The silver fish Chapter 15: Light and water Eddy: Damnation Chapter 16: Anadrome Chapter 17: Riverwoods Eddy: Flowover Chapter 18: Confluence and influence Meander: A river released Chapter 19: The Mucky Beck Eddy: Withow Gap Chapter 20: Rodents of unusual size Eddy: The narrow bridge Chapter 21: Heartland Chapter 22: A descent into Hell Gill (and out the other side) Epilogue Author’s note and acknowledgements Further reading Index

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Book Synopsis''One of the funniest books I have ever read'' HADLEY FREEMANA masterpiece' SATHNAM SANGHERA''The read of the summer'' THE SUNDAY TIMES''Brilliant funny and moving'' ADAM KAYA searingly honest, funny and moving family memoir in which David Baddiel exposes his mother's idiosyncratic sex life, and his father's dementia, to the same affectionate scrutiny.On the surface, David Baddiel's childhood was fairly standard: a lower-middle-class Jewish family living in an ordinary house in Dollis Hill, north-west London. But David came to realise that his mother was in fact not ordinary at all. Having escaped extermination by fleeing Nazi Germany as a child, she was desperate to make her life count, which took the form of a passionate, decades-long affair with a golfing memorabilia salesman. David's detailing of the affair including a hilarious focus on how his mother turned their household over to golf memorabilia, and an eye-popping cache of her erotic writings leads to the inescapable conclu

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative and concise history of witchcraft from the ancient world up to the present day. Witchcraft has always been a fluid and intriguing belief system that has enchanted and sometimes terrified humanity. For over forty years, A History of Witchcraft has provided the authoritative history of witchery and the occult. Beginning with magic in the ancient world, Jeffrey Russell explores the definition of witchcraft in its many diverse forms, from the worship of the Greek goddess of magic, Hecate, through the witch-crazes of the 15th and 16th centuries to the development of modern witchcraft by Aleister Crowley and Gerald Gardner in the early 20th century. Brooks Alexander analyses the development of witchcraft and neopaganism in the present day, charting the dissemination of modern witchcraft through modern media and the tensions that arise when a secretive cult becomes an open and recognized religion. This updated edition features a new chapter exploring the challenges that

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Book SynopsisRobert Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874. After the death of his father he moved with his mother and sister to Massachusetts. His first collection, A Boy's Will, was published in 1913. In 1924 he won the first of four Pulitzer Prizes for his fourth book, New Hampshire. In the 1930s, as he became ever more revered, he suffered a series of family tragedies: his youngest child Marjorie died in 1934, his wife Elinor in 1938, and his son Carol in 1940. Another daughter, Irma, suffered from mental illness. Frost's last major collection, A Witness Tree (1942), contains a number of poems reflecting these disasters. In 1957 Robert Frost received honorary degrees from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. He died in January 1963.Trade ReviewThe most eminent, the most distinguished Anglo-American poet now living -- T. S. EliotFrost was the first American poet who could honestly be reckoned a master-poet by world standards -- Robert GravesRobert Frost has passed into the poetic pantheon * Independent *Of all the poetry written in our generation, Frost's is most likely to stand the test of time * Lewis Gannett *

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Book SynopsisOrdinary Men has been admired all over the world and is now published in the UK for the first time. It takes as its basis the detailed records of one squad from the Nazis'' extermination groups and explores in detail its composition, its actions, andthe methods by which it was trained to perform acts of genocide on an industrial scale. He introduces us to cheerful, friendly, ordinary men who killed without hesitation or apparent remorse for years on end, in docile obedience to an authority theyhappily accepted as legitimate. It is a valuable corrective to the idea of German uniqueness and offers a much more chilling picture of human beings as avidly suggestible and desperate for an organising purpose in their lives, however disgusting.Table of ContentsOne morning in Jozefow; the Order Police; the Order Police and the Final Solution - Russia 1941; the Order Police and the Final Solution - deportation; reserve police battalion 101; arrival in Poland; initiation to mass murder - the Josefow massacre; reflections on a massacre; Lomazy - the descent of second company; the August deprotations to Treblinka; late-September shootings; the deportations resume; the strange health of Captain Hoffmann; the "Jew hunt"; the last massacre - "harvest festival"; aftermath; Germans, Poles and Jews; ordinary men; appendix - shootings and deportations by reserve police battalion 101.

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Book SynopsisProvocative and enlightening, Richard Sennett''s The Craftsman is an exploration of craftsmanship - the desire to do a job well for its own sake - as a template for living. Most of us have to work. But is work just a means to an end? In trying to make a living, have we lost touch with the idea of making things well? Pure competition, Sennett shows, will never produce good work. Instead, the values of the craftsman, whether in a Stradivari violin workshop or a modern laboratory, can enrich our lives and change the way we anchor ourselves in the world around us. The past lives of crafts and craftsmen show us ways of working - using tools, acquiring skills, thinking about materials - which provide rewarding alternative ways for people to utilise their talents. We need to recognize this if motivations are to be understood and lives made as fulfilling as possible. ''Lively, engaging and pertinent ... a lifetime''s learning has gone into Trade Review'Richard Sennett is a prime observer of society ... one of his great strengths, the thing that makes his narrative so gripping, is the sheer range of his thinking and his brilliance in relating the past to the present' - Fiona MacCarthy, The Guardian 'A lifetime's learning has gone into this book ... Sennett writes beautifully' - Roger Scruton, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisThe Command of the Ocean describes with unprecedented authority and scholarship the rise of Britain to naval greatness, and the central place of the Navy and naval activity in the life of the nation and government. It describes not just battles, voyages and cruises but how the Navy was manned, how it was supplied with timber, hemp and iron, how its men (and sometimes women) were fed, and above all how it was financed and directed. It was during the century and a half covered by this book that the successful organizing of these last three - victualling, money and management - took the Navy to the heart of the British state. It is the great achievement of the book to show how completely integrated and mutually dependent Britain and the Navy then became.

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Book SynopsisOVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD ''A remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain'' Oliver Sacks''Utterly wonderful . . . without question one of the most important books about the brain you will ever read; yet it is beautifully written, immensely approachable, and full of humanity'' Iain McGilchrist MA, author of The Master and His EmissaryMeet the ninety-year-old doctor who is still practicing medicine, the stroke victim who learned to move and talk again and the woman with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole. All these people had their lives transformed by the remarkable discovery that our brains can repair themselves through the power of positive thinking. Here bestselling author, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge reveals the secrets of the cutting-edge science of ''neuroplasticity''. He introduces incredible case histories - blind people helped to see, IQs raised and memories sharpened - and tells the stories of the maverick scientists who are overturning centuries of assumptions about the brain. This inspiring book will leave you with a sense of wonder at the capabilities of the mind, and the self-healing power that lies within all of us.Trade ReviewAn utterly wonderful book - without question one of the most important books about the brain you will ever read; yet it is beautifully written, immensely approachable, and full of humanity. Its message is one of hope: it is not just our brains that shape our thinking, but our thinking that, very definitely, shapes our brains.Doidge has identified a tidal shift in basic science and a potential one in medicine. The implications are monumental -- Penny Wark * The Times *A remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain -- Oliver Sacks * author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat *A wonderful and engaging way of re-imagining what kind of creatures we are -- Jeanette Winterson * The Guardian *The power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility. Miracle-making stuff -- Abigail Zuger * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF CHERNOBYL: HISTORY OF A TRAGEDY''An indispensable guide to the tragic history of a great European nation'' Sunday Telegraph''This is present-minded history at its most urgent. Anyone wanting to understand why Russia and the West confront each other over the future of Ukraine will want to read Serhii Plokhy''s reasoned, measured yet passionate account'' Michael IgnatieffLocated at the western edge of the Eurasian steppe, Ukraine has long been the meeting place of empires - Roman to Ottoman, Habsburg to Russian - and they all left their imprint on the landscape, the language and the people living within these shifting borders. In this authoritative book, Harvard Professor and acclaimed author of Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy traces the history of Ukraine from the arrival of the Vikings in the tenth century to the current Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. Fascinating and multilayered, The Gates of Europe is the essential guide to understanding not just Ukraine''s past but also its future.Trade ReviewThe most distinguished historian of Ukraine writing in English. . . Mr Plokhy shows how Ukrainian language, culture and identity flourished in adversity -- which helps explain why, though they have only recently achieved a state of their own, Ukrainians are fighting heroically to defend it * Economist *The world's foremost historian of Ukraine. . . the chronicler of a country on the front lines of a seismic European war * Financial Times *Before my first reporting trip to Ukraine, one of my seasoned war correspondent colleagues had two pieces of advice. First, not to miss the delicious coffee and pastries you can find in Kyiv. Second, that it was absolutely necessary to read Serhii Plokhy's The Gates of Europe. I did, and it unwound 2,500 years of complex, fascinating and often tragic events, all the way from Herodotus's accounts of the ancient Scythians to the Maidan protests in Kyiv a decade ago -- Charlotte Higgins * Guardian *A great place to start reading up on the background to the crisis. . . learned and considered, but lightly written and leavened by anecdotes -- Oliver Bullough * Guardian *Clear and elegant... an indispensable guide to the tragic history of a great European nation -- David Blair * Sunday Telegraph *A fast-moving history, full of prompts and nuggets... a strong rebuttal of the arrogant assumptions of the Putin court -- Roger Boyes * The Times *Admirable... In his elegant and careful exposition of Ukraine's past, Mr Plokhy has also provided some signposts to the future * Economist *An assured and authoritative survey that spans ancient Greek times to the present day -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *Plokhy's careful, engaging history is a series of stories about a spectral nation, one that has appeared and disappeared down the ages... If sense ever prevails, Plokhy's fine book should find its way to Vladimir Putin's desk, if only to show the imperialist that Ukraine itself is far from done, and will not be extinguished -- Ian Bell * Herald Scotland *Readers can find no better place to turn than Plokhy's book... He navigates the subject with grace and aplomb * Foreign Affairs *A concise, highly readable history of Ukraine... a lively narrative peopled with a colorful cast of Norse and Mongol marauders, free-booting Cossacks, kings, conquerors and dictators, and conflicted 19th century intellectuals who believed fervently in a Ukrainian cultural identity but were fatally divided as to how that cultural identity could evolve into national entity * Washington Times *An exemplary account of Europe's least-known large country... one of the joys of reading it is that what might seem a dense account of distant events involving unfamiliar places and people is leavened by aphorism and anecdote * Wall Street Journal *Complex and nuanced, refreshingly revisionist and lucid, this is a compelling and outstanding short history of the blood-soaked land that has so often been the battlefield and breadbasket of Europe -- Simon Sebag MontefioreThis is present-minded history at its most urgent. Anyone wanting to understand why Russia and the West confront each other over the future of Ukraine will want to read Serhii Plokhy's reasoned, measured yet passionate account of Ukraine's historic role at the gates of Europe -- Michael IgnatieffFor a comprehensive, engaging, and up-to-date history of Ukraine one could do no better than Serhii Plokhy's aptly titled The Gates of Europe. Plokhy's authoritative study will be of great value to scholars, students, policy-makers, and the informed public alike in making sense of the contemporary Ukrainian imbroglio -- Norman M. Naimark

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Book Synopsis''Study me reader, if you find delight in me...Come, O men, to see the miracles that such studies will disclose in nature.''Most of what we know about Leonardo da Vinci, we know because of his notebooks. Some 6,000 sheets of notes and drawings survive, which represent perhaps one-fifth of what he actually produced. In them he recorded everything that interested him in the world around him, and his study of how things work. With an artist''s eye and a scientist''s curiosity he studied the movement of water and the formation of rocks, the nature of flight and optics, anatomy, architecture, sculpture, and painting. He jotted down fables and letters and developed his belief in the sublime unity of nature and man. Through his notebooks we can get an insight into Leonardo''s thoughts, and his approach to work and life.This selection offers a cross-section of his writings, organized around coherent themes. Fully updated, this new edition includes some 70 line drawings and a Preface by Martin Kemp, one of the world''s leading authorities on Leonardo. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewA remarkable insight into the Renaissance mind. * The Guardian. *

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling business classic on the power of relationships, updated with in-depth advice for making connections in the digital world ''Don''t walk . . . RUN to your closest bookstore. The most extraordinary and valuable book I''ve come across in a long, long time'' Tom PetersDo you want to get ahead in life? Climb the ladder to success? Master networker Keith Ferrazzi says the secret is in reaching out to others. As he discovered early in life, what distinguishes highly successful people is the way they use the power of relationships - so that everyone wins. Never Eat Alone: Expanded and Updated lays out the steps and mindset Ferrazzi uses to connect with thousands of colleagues, friends, and associates: people he has helped and who have helped him. This form of connecting to the world is based on generosity; Ferrazzi distinguishes genuine relationship-building from crude glad-handing. These practical, proven princi

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Book Synopsis''Steeped in glory, loved by players for his light touch, he is probably the most coveted coach in the world.'' - Financial Times''a treasury of anecdote and insight'' - The Guardian ''Quiet Leadership contains page upon page of insight into his methods from Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, John Terry and more''. - Sport MagazineCarlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo. In Quiet Leadership, Ancelotti reveals the full, riveting story of his managerial career - his methods, mentors, mistakes and triumphs - and takes us inside the dressing room to trace the characters, challenges and decisions that have shaped him. The result is both a scintillating memoir and a rare insight into the business of leadership.Trade ReviewA treasury of anecdote and insight * The Guardian *He's a great coach and an amazing person -- Cristiano RonaldoThere is nobody better than this international crisis manager to explain how to handle superstar players (Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale), difficult club presidents (Silvio Berlusconi and Roman Abramovich) and hysterical media -- Simon Kuper * Financial Times *Ancelotti is Europe's greatest manager -- Paul Hayward * Telegraph *enjoyable and insightful * Financial Times Review *Steeped in glory, loved by players for his light touch, he is probably the most coveted coach in the world. * Lunch with the FT *Page upon page of insight * Sport *

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Book Synopsis''No true Democracy has ever existed, nor ever will exist.''In this selection from The Social Contract, Rousseau asserts that a state''s only legitimate political authority comes from its people.One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics'' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

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Book SynopsisPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers'' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.Andrew Brown works at a big international bank. He makes lots of money every day, but he never has enough time. Now, he might have found a way to borrow some. But, instead of making his life easier, more time might just give him more problems. Maybe the time-travelling Doctor can help!

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Book SynopsisPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers'' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.When the young sailor Ishmael decides to sail on the Pequod with the mysterious Captain Ahab, he has no idea about Ahab''s plans to get revenge on the great white whale Moby Dick. Ahab wants to find and kill the whale at any cost - even if it means losing his ship and his crew.

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Book SynopsisPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers'' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.Macbeth meets three witches. They can see into the future. They tell Macbeth, You are King of Scotland in the future. Are they right? Can Macbeth be king?

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Book SynopsisOS Explorer is the Ordnance Survey's most detailed map and is recommended for anyone enjoying outdoor activities like walking, horse riding and off-road cycling. The OS Explorer range now includes a digital version of the paper map, accessed through the OS smartphone app, OS Maps. Providing complete GB coverage the series details essential information such as youth hostels, pubs and visitor information as well as rights of way, permissive paths and bridleways.

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Book SynopsisPete McCarthy''s tale of his hilarious trip around Ireland has gained thousands of fans all over the world. Pete was born in Warrington to an Irish mother and an English father and spent happy summer holidays in Cork. Years later, reflecting on the many places he has visited as a travel broadcaster, Pete admits that he feels more at home in Ireland than anywhere. To find out whether this is due to rose-coloured spectacles or to a deeper tie with the country of his ancestors, Pete sets off on a trip around Ireland and discovers that it has changed in surprising ways. Firstly obeying the rule ''never pass a pub with your name on it'', he encounters McCarthy''s bars up and down the land, and meets English hippies, German musicians, married priests and many others. A funny, affectionate look at one of the most popular countries in the world.Trade Review'In its freewheeling, informal, jokey way, it is nothing less than an portrait of modern Ireland, in all its splendid contradictions. For a study on Ireland and Irishness, the book is exhilaratingly cosmopolitan in outlook ... Television's loss has been literature's gain.'TelegraphMcCarthy is a hilariously funny writer * The Times *An engaging, evocative book. Four out of five stars * Daily Mail *'Pete McCarthy is a funny man. You will know this if you have seen his award-winning television work or heard him on the radio ... It is impossible to mention comic travels without bringing up the name of Bill Bryson. McCarthy is more to my liking: less smug, delivering more of a sense that he actually noticed the places he passed through without making them seem a freak show. And funny enough to have my neighbours pulling long faces as I sniggered on the Tube the other day.'Sunday Times'A genuinely funny, yet affectionate and informative portrait of the west of Ireland. His book is a collection of wry observations and anecdotes, a skill he developed presenting eight series of Travelog on Channel 4 ... I can guarantee a read that will make you laugh out loud'Sussex LifeHilarious, informed and intelligent ... a wonderful debut. By the end, we, too, would like to move to Ireland * Amazon.co.uk *One of the funniest writers around. If you were asked to choose the ideal travelling companion, you would put Pete McCarthy near the top of your list. But if he doesn't happen to be available, MCCARTHY'S BAR is the next best thing * Yorkshire Evening Post *'Comedian and broadcaster McCarthy takes a hysterical journey through the Ireland of his childhood. An extremely enjoyable book that had me rolling with laughter one minute and deep in thought the next'The Latest (Brighton)'McCarthy is a hilariously funny writer'The TimesDon't panic - this is not the same story you hear from every tourist you meet ... This book will make you laugh out loud through recognition and embarrassment * Irish News *If you're not pissing yourself within minutes of picking up this gem by Pete McCarthy, there's every chance you're actually dead * SX *'Travel books these days are two a penny, but McCarthy's really is a volume to savour. The people of whom he writes will surely appreciate his sharp eye and gentle humour, and the natural beauty which he finds so awe-inspiring cannot but fail to impress even the most world-weary traveller.'Books MagazineMcCarthy mines a rich seam of humour as he finds himself on the receiving end of some warm but unsophisicated hospitality. But then, he could probably make a phone book funny. * Independent on Sunday *'Highly entertaining ... hilarious. A five star book'Rí-Rá'After reading this hilarious, informed and intelligent book, I am tempted to buy books by every other McCarthy around. This is a serious writer struggling to make himself heard above the many excellent jokes and this is what makes McCarthy's book so distinctive. Although he can crack Brysonesque quips with the best of them and take us through hilarious and largely drunken set pieces, McCarthy is equally at home discussing Celtic standing stones and the potato famine. The resulting book is a wonderful debut. By the end, we, too, would like to move to Ireland. You sense that McCarthy has such a genuine feeling for Ireland, Irishness and Irish history that he can only temper his writing with side-splitting humour. In this way, his first book successfully embodies much of what it is to be Irish.'Amazon.co.uk'McCarthy chronicles his drunken voyage with humour and insight, the people he meets are portrayed with sensitivity and wit. He has an ear for dialogue, but also a love of Ireland and Irish history. This comes across as a lot more than a gimmicky travel book, but as genuinely well written and very funny, managing to balance humour and observation in tight and witty prose'WH Smiths online'Meant to be funny, this succeeds nicely. His rule - never pass a bar that has your name on it - makes a simple and pleasing frame. Authors should never record their own books, except autobiography, which this is, and McCarthy gets away with it.'Guardian'Pete would provide you with miles of smiles on the road to wherever you happen to be going ... The hugely entertaining, and very funny, McCarthy's Bar is not a traditional travel book, it's one man's story of an expedition of discovery in search for his roots and an explanation for his gut desire to feel Irish. McCarthy's my kind of tourist, he avoids the obvious and delights in meeting the locals and soaking up their stories (some of them possibly even true) like a beer mat. If you've seen Pete's TV shows you'll know that his idea of travelling includes blisters and all, and McCarthy's Bar is filled to bursting with fascinating folk and their folklore. It may be a spit-and-sawdust view of Ireland, but I'll drink to that.'Peterborough Evening Telegraph'Warrington-born McCarthy's prose is not classic, but his travelogue is warm and inquisitive. McCarthy's discretion in refusing to name the best quality, best value hotel/eating house in the whole of Ireland won my heart. If your feelings about things Irish transcend Paddy McGinty's theme bars and Riverdance, this book is a must.'Manchester Evening News'McCarthy, whose sardonic wit will be familiar to listeners of Radio 4's Breakaway, is as lively and entertaining on the page as he is on the airwaves. Bristling with quips and jokes, he blends his wry humour with intelligent, measured discussions about Irish identity, the potato famine and ancient Celtic religions. The result is a delightful book that is as satisfying as a drop of the black stuff'Travis Elborough, Waterstone's Online'An entertaining meander about the Irish Republic. Warrington-born Pete McCarthy has set out to discover his Celtic roots and the changing face of Ireland in the nicest way possible. McCarthy finds that generous hospitality and good conversation are still to be found and that McCarthy's Bar is a fine place to start looking'Daily Mail'One of the funniest writers around ... A warmly affectionate, humorous and entertaining journey, which perhaps reveals as much about Pete McCarthy as it does about Ireland and the Irish. If you were asked to choose the ideal travelling companion, you would probably put Pete McCarthy near the top of your list. But if he doesn't happen to be available, MCCARTHY'S BAR is the next best thing'Yorkshire Evening Post'McCarthy's Bar is entertaining throughout and although the author is always seeking a romantic image of the Ireland he knew as a child, he does so with good humour and intelligent insight. I could easily sink a few pints with this man and even indulge in a bowl of Singapore noodles afterwards.'The Irish World'Pete McCarthy's entertaining account of his journey through Eire searching for the links that bind him to the place ... The McCarthys turn out to be something of a publican mafia and Pete does them proud, both in the drinking and the telling'Sunday Times'A hilarious odyssey which charts his quest to connect with his Celtic side. Though extremely funny, McCarthy's Bar also takes a serious look at changing times in a country until very recently caught in a 1950s timewarp'Manchester Evening News'His adventures are a joy to read. If he decides to go again, I'll volunteer to carry his case'Northern Echo'If you're not pissing yourself within minutes of picking up this gem by Pete McCarthy, there's every chance you're actually dead. McCarthy's debut book is a witty, charming, insightful ride through his mother's homeland of Ireland. Dotted with hilarious rules of travel ... this one stands out in the often ho-hum world of travellers tales. Full of fascinating, friendly, usually drunken, people and experiences, McCarthy's Bar has you clambering for the next ticket to Ireland, hoping you'll find the author to help share a pint or six'SX'Don't panic - this is not the same story you hear from every tourist you meet. This is a travelogue of Ireland, a journey by someone who feels both intimate and distant to a truly extraordinary country. It is an unusual insight, told through great set pieces and jokes that you have probably heard a hundred times before but you still laugh at them anyway. The author seems to have a natural aptitude (or some might say handicap) for meeting funny, strange and fascinating people. This book will make you laugh out loud through recognition and embarrassment, as you realise that you either know, are related to or are yourself like so many of the people who generally foist themselves upon an unsuspecting Pete McCarthy. This book is not a shamrocks and fiddles view of Ireland, more of a surrealist portrait of the character of a people not defined by any laws of normality. The skill of his writing means he can smoothly go from discussing the drunken craic in a plethora of village pubs to the atmospheric Celtic history of standing stones. This book is really worth a look, especially if you want a good laugh and an unsettling insight into the people, places and general madness that lies dangerously close to your own front door'Irish News'Pete McCarthy's funny book about travel will have you trying to contain your mirth. Of equal importance, it will inspire you to visit places you haven't visited before, and tell you things about humankind you didn't know. With McCarthy's Bar, your only pain will be from sides split by laughing. He's a funny writer is what's-his-name'The Herald (Glasgow)'Like Bryson, McCarthy is a master of characterisation. All of those he meets, from ageing English hippies to impossibly shy hoteliers, are treated with the same gently barbed humour. He isn't too condescending or too self-effacing, which makes it easy to love this book. You will smile throughout and laugh out loud frequently' Wanderlust'This is not a traditional travel book. McCarthy takes the local approach to planning the day - he goes to the pub and waits to see what transpires ... An engaging, evocative book. Four out of five stars'Mail on Sunday'Pete McCarthy takes an incisive but affectionate look at how Ireland has changed since the Angela's Ashes years'Conde Nast Traveller'A humorous look at what the west of Ireland has become. Save this for a rainy day when you're sitting by a peat fire with a bottle of Paddy's whiskey wearing thick socks'Standard'All is related with a wicked sense of humour that will have you laughing out loud. Be warned that if you plan to read this book in public you are likely to get some strange looks as you try to choke back the giggles. This is no mere travel book - it is a walk down memory lane, a look at the differences between the Irish and the English and a comedy delight. Slainte!'Coventry Evening Telegraph'An acutely observed and often hilarious series of snapshots of a country that can induce an onrush of sentimental cliche. A funny and believable travelogue'The Sunday Times'The finest travel book of the year to date. A wonderful, wonderful book - clever and funny in all the right places. Observant, thought-provoking and bold, it does the Irish people justice and gives them an authentic voice. MCCARTHY'S BAR is Bryson without the boring bits and I can pay its writer no higher compliment'The Oxford Times'Wonderful ... It's a surprise to discover that this is McCarthy's first book because he is an excellent writer, enthralling his readers with vivid descriptions of the Irish countryside, wonderful comic timing and a knack for the telling phrase. This is a hugely enjoyable book, heartfelt, self-aware and very funny ... full of funny anecdotes, keen observation and an intelligent exploration of what it means to be Irish, to belong here'Kilkenny People'A wonderfully funny journey around Ireland. In and out of McCarthy's Bars he went, encountering the mad, bad and gloriously wacky. He narrates MCCARTHY'S BAR with the help of a couple of actors, and it's a delight'Express on Sunday'The funniest book I've read this year'John Walsh, Independent (October17th 2000)'Funny and touching'Irish Post'He could probably make a phone book funny'Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisOPRAH''S BOOK CLUB PICKA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER''A roadmap on the journey to truth and authenticity... [The Way of Integrity] is filled with aha moments and practical exercises that can guide us as we seek enlightenment'' Oprah Winfrey''This radiant book will not only change your life, but perhaps even save it'' Elizabeth Gilbert''Martha Beck''s genius is that her writing is equal parts comforting and challenging. A teacher, a mother, a sage, she holds our hand as she leads us back home to ourselves'' Glennon Doyle_____________________Bestselling author, life coach and sociologist Martha Beck explains why ''integrity'' - being in harmony with ourselves - is the key to a meaningful and joyful lifeIn The Way of Integrity, Beck presents a four-stage process that anyone can use to find integrity, and with it, a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and a life free of mental suffering. Much of what plagues us-people pleasing, staying in stale relationships, negative habits-all point to what happens when we are out of touch with what truly makes us feel whole.Inspired by The Divine Comedy, Beck uses Dante''s classic hero''s journey as a framework to break down the process of attaining personal integrity into small, manageable steps. She shows how to read our internal signals that lead us towards our true path, and to recognize what we actually yearn for versus what our culture sells us.With techniques tested on hundreds of her clients, Beck brings her expertise as a social scientist, life coach and human being to help readers to uncover what integrity looks like in their own lives. She takes us on a spiritual adventure that not only will change the direction of our lives, but bring us to a place of genuine happiness.Trade ReviewMartha Beck's genius is that her writing is equal parts comforting and challenging. A teacher, a mother, a sage, she holds our hand as she leads us back home to ourselves. -- Glennon Doyle, international bestselling author of UntamedThe Way of Integrity is about the redemptive power of discovering, speaking and living the truth about who you are.... The book vibrates with magic, intelligence, and love. It brims with humour, spirituality, fascinating science, and even Dante's Divine Comedy. This radiant book will not only change your life, but perhaps even save it. -- Elizabeth Gilbert, international bestselling author of Eat, Pray, LoveIn an age of nonstop pressure to conform we often lose connection to truth and meaning. But Martha Beck has written this masterpiece, initiating a new path forward, one of integrity, showing us how to embrace our authentic self for unlimited freedom. -- Shannon Kaiser, international bestselling author of The Self-Love ExperimentThe Way of Integrity is the perfect guide for anyone who wants greater happiness and clarity of purpose. As always, Martha Beck's writing is beautiful and perceptive, and the insights and exercises she shares in these pages may take you somewhere unexpected, but will certainly lead you to a better place. -- Marci Shimoff, New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No ReasonThe Way of Integrity is Martha Beck at her finest: one hundred percent pure distilled wisdom, truth, and illumination, delivered always with humor. There's no one I'd trust more to get me out of the dark woods. -- Susan Casey, New York Times bestselling author of Voices in the OceanBy the end of this profound, funny, and beautifully crafted book, I finally understood that the 'wild beasts' of my own negativity, impatience, and anger are actually my friends, sent to show me when I am straying from my true path. This book that will help anyone get back on the path and walk more joyfully toward their full integrity. -- Elizabeth Lesser, cofounder of Omega Institute and New York Times bestselling author of Broken Open

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Book SynopsisA Beat Memoir. Astonishing insider account of the Beat generation by Jack Kerouacs lover and probably the best book ever written about the Beats.Trade ReviewWhat Joyce Johnson is doing here, then, is several things. Sure, she’s writing a memoir of the ’50s, the ‘Beat Generation’ and Kerouac in particular . . . But she’s also writing her own biography and summation of the times . . . taking these two themes, she merges them into the idea of ‘minor characters,’ those people who live just as intensely or more so than those who are defining ‘what’s going on,’ but who still, under these inaccurate definitions, come in as minor characters . . . a tender, sweet intelligent book. Carolyn See, Los Angeles Times; [Johnson] has brought to life what history may ultimately judge to have been minor characters, but who were to her own generation major enough to shape its consciousness. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times; Joyce Johnson hands over to us the safe-deposit box that contains the lost, precious scrolls of the New York ’50s. Seymour Krim, The Washington Post; MINOR CHARACTERS is an avowedly nostalgic portrait that captures the excitement, the strangeness and the often misdirected and destructive energy of those lost days. The Philadelphia Enquirer; The love story of Joyce from the upper westside who journeys to the village on the subway, putting on a pair of copper earrings en route, and Jack, the confused, mother-tied, suddenly famous road poet from Lowell, Massachusetts . . . a first-rate memoir, very beautiful, very sad. . . E. L. Doctorow; Johnson, who was living with Kerouac when the novel that made him famous came out, has given us in Minor Characters a dispassionate portrait of a time that has since become a literary myth . . . at once forgiving and wry. James Atlas, The Atlantic; Tender and complex . . . far more than a simple enumeration of the highs and lows of an underground romance with Jack Kerouac . . . her book becomes a moving story of adolescent rebellion, and then a fascinating meditation on the relations between the sexes by one who in her Bohemian youth took a measure of freedom unthinkable to most women of her time. The Boston Globe; [A] lovely, poignant memoir . . . Minor Characters glows with affection. Todd Gitlin, The Nation; Realistic rather than flamboyant, Johnson succeeds in portraying the Beats not as oddities or celebrities but as individuals. In wry retrospect, she recognizes the folly of young women rebelling against their well-meaning parents only to become subservient to indifferent men. The New Yorker; Joyce Johnson does much more than add her personal memoir to the history of the Beats . . . Her honest story illuminates a classic pattern of feminine ambivalence, blurred direction and girlish dreams. Susan Brownmiller; A beautifully written venture into iconoclasm. Now, realer heroines emerge as Beat gods fall, along with all the strutting princes of literature. Sol Yurick; With a style balanced between lyricism and forceful clarity, Joyce Johnson has become one of our premier memoirists. O, The Oprah Magazine; Joyce Johnson summons up the mythic Greenwich Village of jazz, poetry and black-stockinged Bohemia with infinite ironic grace. She was, briefly, a muse for all those messy Beat angels. This is the muse’s side of the story. It turns out the muse could write as well as anybody. Angela Carter; An open, perfect memoir: the one to read when you think you are tired of memoirs: the one to study when you think you might write one. It’s here. In print and every word is right. Jill Robinson; Rich and beautifully written, full of vivid portraits and evocations . . . of the major Beat voices and the minor characters, their women San Francisco Chronicle; A major literary event, describing with a rare blend of intelligence and grace the difficult process of becoming, in Doris Lessing’s words, a “free woman.” Ann Charters

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Book Synopsis''A thrilling blow-by-blow account'' The Times''A first-rate popular history of a fascinating and neglected battle... a veritable page-turner'' BBC HistoryIn February 1944, a rag-tag collection of clerks, drivers, doctors, muleteers, and other base troops, stiffened by a few dogged Yorkshiremen and a handful of tank crews managed to hold out against some of the finest infantry in the Japanese Army, and then defeat them in what was one of the most astonishing battles of the Second World War.What became know as The Defence of the Admin Box, fought amongst the paddy fields and jungle of Northern Arakan over a fifteen-day period, turned the battle for Burma. Not only was it the first decisive victory for British troops against the Japanese, more significantly, it demonstrated how the Japanese could be defeated. The lessons learned in this tiny and otherwise insignificant corner of the Far East, set up the campaign in Burma that would folloTrade ReviewHolland is good on the mechanics of warfare and gives a thrilling blow-by-blow account of the fighting, which will please military buffs. There are also crisp vignettes of the commanders . . . But it is the voices of the fighting men that lift this book above the level of a simple battle narrative. Holland has a good ear. * The Times *Up there with Rorke’s Drift . . . in rescuing the Battle of the Admin Box from oblivion, Holland has performed a signal service for all the men who fought – and died – in its defence * Telegraph *In this superb account of an obscure but decisive battle fought in almost indescribably difficult jungle terrain, the always excellent James Holland tells a tale of heroism and grit to match any in the annals of war * The Mail on Sunday *Vivid . . . military historian James Holland conjures the heroism and horror of this gallant stand by a motley force of doctors, clerks and other base troops against highly trained Japanese infantry. * Daily Mail *A gripping account of one of the war’s lesser-known episodes * Soldier *

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Book SynopsisBill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. His bestselling books include The Road to Little Dribbling, Notes from a Small Island, A Walk in the Woods, One Summer and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. In a national poll, Notes from a Small Island was voted the book that best represents Britain. His acclaimed work of popular science, A Short History of Nearly Everything, won the Aventis Prize and the Descartes Prize, and is the biggest selling non-fiction book of the 21st century. The Body: A Guide for Occupants was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize and is an international bestseller.Bill Bryson was Chancellor of Durham University 2005-2011. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society. He lives in England.Trade ReviewBill Bryson is a true master of popular narrative. Over the course of his career, he has bestowed a beautiful clarity on even the most recondite of subjects...Has history ever been so enjoyable? -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *A fascinating snapshot of a season during which America, for better or worse, ushered in the modern world. * Sunday Times *A gifted raconteur...The book is filled with eccentric, flamboyant characters and memorable stories...highly amusing. * Guardian *A great new form of literature: biography of a few months in one country. -- Matt Ridley * The Times (Books of the Year) *Few writers of nonfiction, and,let's be honest,few enough writers of novels, can crack the narrative whip like Bryson. One Summer fairly whirls along...full of exhilarating, fact-filled fun...surely the most sublime distraction published this year. * Observer *

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Book Synopsis'Difficult to put down ... irresistible' Daily TelegraphTrade Review'Recounted with great skill . . . opens a window onto a fascinating world' * Financial Times *'Highly readable and elegant' * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisThis accurate, colour-coded map shows all areas according to their actual size, with the North-South lines running vertically and the East-West lines running parallel.

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Book Synopsis''FRANK, FILTHY and FEROCIOUSLY FUNNY'' Sunday Mirror''I loved every HONEST and HILARIOUS second!'' Carrie Hope Fletcher ''Made me CACKLE OUT LOUD on every single page'' Daisy BuchananLush (adj.) Very rich and providing great sensory pleasure (Oxford English Dictionary) (n.) A habitual drunkard (Oxford English Dictionary)Gabby and Emma have been best friends since primary school in Wales. Emma has a stable job, a nice home and has just got engaged. Gabby has had a succession of disastrous one-night stands and awful jobs since drama school . . . and she has just been diagnosed with scurvy. She has one year until the wedding to pull herself together and prove to her friends and family that she can be a proper grown-up.Described by Caitlin Moran as Trade ReviewGabrielle Fernie shares more of her most raucous stories with eye-watering honesty - a laugh-out-loud account of a young woman trying to get her disastrous life together before her best friend's wedding, to prove to everyone she can actually be a grown-up. * SheerLuxe.com *I ADORED Gabrielle Fernie's memoir, Lush - it's so giddy and gleeful and warm. She's a hugely gifted comic writer and there was something that made me cackle out loud on every single page -- Daisy Buchanan, author of HOW TO BE A GROWN-UPFrank, filthy and ferociously funny * Sunday Mirror *An enjoyable resurrection of the ladette, Lush covers drunken nights, one night stands and reality TV dating, showing not all Millennials are Instagram obsessed wellness devotees. * The Herald *Lush is only 'put-downable' because it makes you laugh so hard you fear if you continue reading you might burst. I loved every honest and hilarious second! -- Carrie Hope FletcherFernie's funny, filthy memoir about her life as a struggling actress and her attempts to pull herself together offers hope to anyone who feels growing up has somehow passed them by * iNews (Best non-fiction books for autumn 2018) *[Lush] had me guffawing on public transport -- Carrie Hope Fletcher * Metro *[A gift] for the friend whose cackle you can hear down the street. In this laugh riot, best friends Gabby and Emma have grown up together. When Emma reveals she is getting married, it dawns on Gabby she must grow up herself once and for all. Hilarious and debauched. * The Sun *I ADORED Gabrielle Fernie's memoir, Lush - it's so giddy and gleeful and warm. She's a hugely gifted comic writer and there was something that made me cackle out loud on every single page. * Daisy Buchanan, author of HOW TO BE A GROWN-UP *

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Book SynopsisRoman Krznaric is a social philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to create change. His internationally bestselling books, including The Good Ancestor, Empathy, and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than twenty-five languages. He is Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University's Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and founder of the world's first Empathy Museum. After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, Roman studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD in political science. His writings have been widely influential amongst political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs and designers. An acclaimed public speaker, his talks and workshops have taken him from a London prison to the TED global stage.Roman is a member of the Club of Rome and a Research Fellow of the Long Now Foundation. He previously worked as an academic, a gardener and a humanTrade ReviewThis is the book our children's children will thank us for reading * The Edge, U2 *Roman Krznaric's brilliant book The Good Ancestor champions the long-term thinking that could lead us out of our multiple disasters. * George Monbiot *Beautiful to read, heartfelt and persuasive The Good Ancestor is one of those landmark books with the power to shift a mindset. One turns the pages feeling a growing compulsion for change. Krznaric’s clarion call for long-term thinking makes him an ancestor all future generations can be proud of * Isabella Tree, author of Wilding *A philosopher's contribution to saving the world * Andrew Anthony, Observer *Packed with commonsense advice on how to develop an uncommon habit * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisIf you loved From Lukov with Love - the sensational TikTok hit that is captivating readers all over the world - then you don''t want to miss any of Mariana''s unique romances! No one writes slow burn like Mariana Zapata and her millions of fans agree!''A seriously addictive slow burn romance. This book was seriously perfect.'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''This one just really hit the spot for me. Great characters, slow burn romance, funny interactions, and when the heat finally hits, it''s delicious. I read straight through the night and have thought about Aidan all day'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. I cried even harder. I swooned and cried some more . . . This author has giving me back my love for reading and I couldn''t thank her enough'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''The character development and the build of the relationship between these two were done perfectly. It was all just beautiful'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''I really enjoyed this slow burn romance. . . The payoff was perfect - I constantly had a cheesy grin on my face. The characters, the story, it was all simply wonderful'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''Slow burn. So good. Didn''t want it to end. What a romance!'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review.........................................Vanessa Mazur knows she''s doing the right thing. She shouldn''t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she''s beyond shocked.For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn''t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He''s asking for the unthinkable.What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?........................................Want more of Mariana''s delicious slow burn? Why not start with her sensational hit, From Lukov with Love! And don''t miss any of her romances beloved by millions of readers!When Gracie Met the GrumpDear AaronLingusRhythm, Chord & MalykhinThe Best ThingUnder LockeKultiWait for ItLuna and the LieHands DownAll Rhodes Lead Here

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Book SynopsisWhy do French children happily eat what is put in front of them?How can French mothers chat to their friends while their children play quietly?_______Parents are saying MERCI to Pamela Druckerman!***** ‘Our parenting bible’***** ‘You are not alone!Trade ReviewFascinating... gripping... extremely funny... A desperately needed corrective to received wisdom about child-rearing and what having children is supposed to do to a woman's sense of self. I loved it. It made me want to move to Paris * The Sunday Times *Self-deprecating, witty, informative... But however much she admires "the easy, calm authority" French parents seem to posess, will Druckerman manage it herself? Her efforts to do so add a compelling narrative to this fascinating study of French parenting * Guardian *Observant, dryly entertaining... In recounting how her three children went native, Druckerman is engagingly self-deprecating... This book is worth its price for the crucial information it reveals about how to win the sleep wars * Daily Mail *Fascinating and enlightening... Druckerman's observations struck me as Eureka discoveries that could improve interaction between adults and children here * The Lady *'I couldn't put it down! Smart, funny, provocative, and genuinely eye-opening.' -- Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger MotherPamela Druckerman is a charming narrator... she has produced an important guide to staying calm, and if half of what she says about anglophone parents is true, her book should be dispensed on prescription * Spectator *This witty book will leave you with a few tricks up your sleeve as you embrace the French culture * TES *Well-written, funny and doesn't take itself too seriously * Irish Sunday Independent *

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Book SynopsisFrom Paris to Prague, from the past to the present, authors and artists explore what Europe means to them - and us. Through moving personal letters, hilarious anecdotes, brilliant new fiction, and original illustrations, Postcards to Europe paints a picture of a nation and a continent, and how they define each other. Featuring some of the biggest, best and brightest names from the world of fiction, current affairs, politics, art, film, history and food. There is nothing like this out there and every reader will find something to cherish and share in this stunning collection. Contributed to by: Richard Herring, Alain de Botton, Sarah Perry, Matt Haig, Bee Wilson, Andrew Roberts, Oliver Kamm, Hari Kunzru, Colonel Tim Collins, Jessie Burton, Kate Eberlen, Will Self, Adam Dant, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jennifer Higgie, Simon Garfield, Ian Rankin, Mark Kermode, Amy Liptrot, Nicci French, Rob Temple, Afua Hirsch, Sarah Winman, Sunny Singh, Owen Jones, David Shrigley, Ben Collins, Henry Marsh,

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Book Synopsis''This book taught me so much about female desire. A must read!'' Cherry HealeyDid you know that there is an orgasm gap of around 30% between heterosexual couples when they have sex? In Mind The Gap, Dr Karen Gurney, a clinical psychologist and certified psychosexologist, explores not just this gap, but the gaps in our knowledge of so much of the most important new science around sex and desire. In this book, you will learn that nearly everything that you''ve been led to believe about female sexuality isn''t actually true. And that, despite what you might think, it is possible to simultaneously feel little to no spontaneous desire and have a happy and mutually satisfying sex life long term.Exploring the mismatch between ideas about sex in our society and what the science tells us, Mind The Gap also explains how this disconnect lies at the root of many of our sexual problems. Combining science with case studieTrade ReviewThis book taught me so much about female desire. A must read! * Cherry Healey *Reveals how you can supercharge desire in a long relationship * Daily Mail *Mind The Gap by Dr Karen Gurney reveals the essential factors that drive women's desire and explains how you can harness them to achieve brilliant, satisfying sex long into old age. * Red *Lots of nuggets. * Evening Standard *Nothing stays the same as we age, and that includes our sex lives. But how we approach intimate moments can mean the difference between satisfaction and disappointment. That's the premise behind Harley Street psychologist Dr Karen Gurney's debut book Mind the Gap. * Sheer Luxe *[one of] the best books of 2020 to shop now... * Glamour Magazine *Mind the Gap sets out to dispel some long-held sexual myths. * Vogue *Drawing upon her clinical experience, certified psychosexologist Dr Karen Gurney lays bare the history of sex, its role in society, bedroom inequality and libido - alongside actionable advice on how to have the kind, and frequency, of sex you want. * Women's Health *I thoroughly recommend Dr Karen Gurney's book Mind The Gap if you'd like to explore more about how sexual desire isn't something we should expect to be constantly present so long as we 'love' or 'fancy' someone, but is actually dependent upon all sorts of additional contextual factors, and how understanding all these - and to some extent, planning around them - can aid us in fostering greater desire if we wish to. * Alix Fox, Grazia *For couples wanting practical help * Recommended by Kate Moyle, GQ Magazine *

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Book SynopsisContains 8 (completely new) sets of very simple war-gaming rules covering all periods from Ancient to WWII. The rules only require a small number of figures and a 3' x 3' playing area, ideal for beginners. Includes 30 tactical scenarios that can be used with any period.

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Book Synopsis''No one alive can write sentences like he can. He''s the missing evolutionary link between William Burroughs and Virginia Woolf'' Olivia Laing''Among the most brilliant novelists writing today'' Robert Macfarlane''Truly gets to the heart of that strange, indefinable otherness of the wild northern landscape'' Benjamin MyersRetreating from the ruins of his marriage, Mike leaves London for the wildness of the Yorkshire moors, where he falls in with a group of climbers - a band of misfits and mavericks bound by the pursuit of the unattainable: the perfect climb.Travelling from abandoned urban quarries to misty, lichened crags, Mike discovers an intensity of experience - a wash of pain, fear and excitement - that causes the rest of his world to recede. Increasingly addicted to the adrenaline, folklore and camaraderie of the sport, he begins to lose his grip on the line between passion and obsession - at a cost.With an introTrade ReviewM. John Harrison has abjured the high-pitched melodramatics of TOUCHING THE VOID for a microscopically observed novel about a group of climbers . . . Descriptions of the various climbs are painstaking and suspenseful, and Harrison has a sharp ear for dialogue. But most impressive is his acute sense of place . . . the raw beauty of the Pennines * Daily Telegraph *Stunning . . . Harrison makes an intensely poetic and evocative brew of the interstices between sport, passion and obsession. Moments of exquisite surreality rub against others in which you can smell the soil and stone * The Times *More than anything I've ever read, Climbers truly gets to the heart of that strange, indefinable otherness of the wild northern landscape, and the odd people compelled to conquer it in their own odd ways. It feels more than book - it's an adrenalized dream, a series of moods as changeable as the sky above. Unique is the only word for it * Benjamin Myers *Harrison draws the reader on by the clarity of his vision and writing . . . The way he handles the sport and the social background bears comparison with that of David Storey in THIS SPORTING LIFE. I know no higher praise * Independent *Sheer brilliance -- Iain M. BanksA vivid, restless, deeply cunning novel * Sunday Times *A poetic portrait of the strange and fascinating, very niche world of rock climbing * Helen Mort, author of Black Car Burning *Like prose poetry, it's beautiful -- Harriett GilbertReading Climbers today it's not just the incredible sense of a place and part and time of England that is so vividly done, but also the warm, complicated drawing of its people. As soon as I finished the book I missed, deeply, all that odd little gang with their obsession and their jargon and their pastime. Harrison's book is fossil and debris, with the qualities of both stone - pure, clean, hard, and the strange uncanniness that comes with finding a bottle top, say, that takes you back to a past decade * Will Burns, author of The Paper Lantern *Future critics will find in his writing a distinct, clear-eyed vision of late-twentieth and early-twenty-first-century life * J.S. Barnes, Times Literary Supplement *Harrison is a linguistic artist, constructing sentences that wrap and weave like a stream of consciousness without ever breaking focus * Sci-Fi Now *Harrison is without peer as a chronicler of the fraught, unsteady state we're in * Guardian *If fiction's greatest achievement is in affecting the way the reader sees the world, then Harrison's spare and beautiful prose has conjured up here a feeling of almost permanent dislocation from the routines of everyday life. Even when the book has been closed, it's a feeling that is incredibly hard to shake off * The Herald *[A] masterpiece . . . celebrated for its fine-grained depictions of the landscapes of Northern England through the seasons . . . Harrison is a psychological novelist whose fascination with trauma, repression and memory remains constant throughout his work. Climbers - the great hinge in Harrison's career - is a novel-length attempt to view the past so clearly you can see the beard-frost * London Review of Books *Over the past 50 years, M. John Harrison has produced a remarkably varied body of work . . . He is not easily pigeon-holed - an intentional state of affairs, but one that has denied him a large readership . . . When he moves into less exotic terrain, he's able to make everyday experiences feel alien - the best example being his 1989 novel Climbers, set in the Pennines among misfits who claw their way up crags, escaping one kind of precariousness by chasing another . . . The prose ripples with mystery and lustrous turns of phrase, and there are flashes of humour, too . . . The landscapes are part J.G. Ballard, part Iain Sinclair . . . Equally at ease depicting suburban midlife crisis and parallel universes, Harrison writes memorably about people who are bewildered, sidetracked, trapped or on the lookout for opportunities to change * The Spectator *A lot of literary fiction has become its own cliché and it's become very mannered. Of course there's a lot of appallingly bad pulp fiction but when this stuff finds something new and locates itself as part of the tradition it's as good as anything. There are some writers in that tradition in terms of their use of language who as prose stylists are the equal of anyone alive. I'm thinking of people like John Crowley, M John Harrison, Gene Wolfe. * China Miéville, 3AM Magazine *Magnificently unsettling . . . Harrison described this real, gritty world with the same precise and estranging fluency with which he has more often mapped galactic space, using the dense idiolect of climbing to make atmosphere and geology resonate on an emotional, interior level. Some kind of breach or fault line was being cautiously staked out, a post-industrial, late-capitalist collapse in credit and confidence so amorphous and inarticulable that it would vanish altogether if apprehended too directly. . . . No one alive can write sentences as he can. He's the missing evolutionary link between William Burroughs and Virginia Woolf, bringing together new blooms of language, gathering up advertising copy and internet lingo and arranging them in startling hybrid forms. * Olivia Laing, Guardian *

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Book SynopsisWe were created by love, for love, to love and to be loved. And we are at our best when we live in God's love. And I believe deep down, it's what we all want. We don't want hatred. We don't want the abyss. We want Beloved Community. The way of love is how to live it.When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018, two billion people watched around the world. For one brief moment, love recreated the cosmos, the world came together. And the Bishop Michael Curry preached his revolutionary sermon on the power of love. In this book, Bishop Curry shares his deep faith that characterised that cultural moment: the way of love. It is the underappreciated, all-but-forgotten understanding of agape, the love that uplifts, liberates and changes the world. Though some might believe the world has to be the same, this way has the power to change things for the better.In his warm and accessible style Bishop Curry holds out the hope of love in troubling times.Trade ReviewPerfect love casts out all fear' (1 John 4.18). In this beautiful and moving book, Bishop Michael Curry reflects on the nature of God's love and the reflection of that love in human lives. Drawing on his own life and experiences he shows us that, time and again, when love is threatened by circumstances-be it poverty, racism, violence, injustice or the abuse of power-that same love has the power to shine through. Two thousand years ago Jesus called together a small band of disciples to follow him in preaching the good news of God's love. The movement we now know as the Church started off simply as 'the way.' Bishop Michael is convinced that, just as then, love and the message of love has the power to transform our world. -- The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterburyin a world riven by so much division, Love is the Way is surely a book that we need right now. * Church Times *Michael Curry believes in love. Not the kind of love that sidesteps and softens our response to the most brutal realities of our deepest, racist, economic, and human oppression. But rather, like Dr. King and, more importantly, Jesus said; the kind of radical love that may be the only thing that can finally overcome such radical sin. On a personal note, Michael is and does what he says about being a follower of Jesus and the way of God's overwhelming and overcoming love. Love is the Way is moving, heartfelt, and extraordinarily important. In this fearful time, more than perhaps ever before, the world needs this book because, as Michael says, 'Love dreams visions -- Jim Wallis, Founder and President of SojournersThis is a profound and essential book. At once personal and universal, intimate and sweeping, it frames the great question of our time-which is, really, the great question of all time on this side of Paradise-with passion and eloquence. Michael Curry, priest and bishop, plays the prophet in these pages, drawing on his own remarkable life to show us the way we might make our own lives, and the lives of nations, warmer, better, and nobler. -- Jon Meacham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Destiny and Power, American Lion, and Thomas Jefferson: The Art of PowerBishop Curry asks us to love ourselves, each other, and God more fully, and unlike so many others, he actually shows us how. There is no greater calling; no nobler blessing. -- Rabbi Steve Leder, author of The Beauty of What RemainsBishop Curry proclaims and lives the way of love that has the power to transform broken systems and imperfect people. This book is a gift for our time, as is my dear brother. Listen to him. -- Bishop William J. Barber, II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign; author of We Are Called to Be a MovementAn easy read, this book will appeal to readers wanting to leave no one behind in their search for the beloved community. * Reform *

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Book SynopsisFully updated in a new, contemporary edition - the bestselling guide to cider vinegar, and its role in reducing pain and improving mobility. Hundreds of thousands of people with arthritis have been helped by the Margaret Hills Clinic and by Margaret's bestselling book, Treating Arthritis: The Drug-free Way. Cider vinegar is a cornerstone of the treatment protocol, and this companion title has been completely updated with all-new recipes featuring this amazing natural product, in addition to suggesting a wide variety of other uses, all of which can help to reduce arthritic pain and joint stiffness. Embracing the simple principles that make this drug-free protocol so effective, this book will help you to make cider vinegar a regular part of your daily diet, and offer insight into just why it is so effective. In addition to reducing inflammation and improving mobility, cider vinegar can aid with weight loss - it can also replace many of the chemically-derived products in your home, or in your personal care routine, making your environment a healthier and potentially much less toxic one. The very many recipes in this book all feature the wonder ingredient that is cider vinegar, and they all cater for vegetarians and vegans. There are recommendations for those managing auto-immune conditions such as coeliac disease, or food allergies, and the emphasis throughout is on fresh, raw, local ingredients.Cider Vinegar complements Margaret Hills' renowned Treating Arthritis programme to offer gentle, natural and manageable steps to reduce pain and improve mobility.

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Book SynopsisWelcome to this ‘novice’s guide’. At last a book that explains the real science behind the cosmetics we use. Taking a gentle approach and a guided journey through the different product types, we discover that they are not as superficial as often thought and learn that there is some amazing science behind them. We shall uncover some of the truths behind the myths and point out some interesting facts on our way. Did you know? Vitamin E is the world’s most used cosmetic active ingredient. At just 1mm thick, your amazing skin keeps out just about everything it’s exposed to – including your products! A ‘chemical soup’ of amino acids, urea, mineral salts and organic acids act as ‘water magnets’ in the skin keeping it naturally moisturised. Discovered centuries ago, iron oxides (yes, the same chemicals as rust) are still commonly used inorganic pigments in foundations. A lipstick is a fine balance of waxes, oils and colourants to keep the stick stable and leave an even gloss on your lips.Trade Review'The scope of this book is as wide as cosmetic science itself.'; 'It is a book that was written in a balanced way, one that caters for both scientists and for the general public.'; 'Consequently, the quality of Discovering Cosmetic Science is a result of the breadth of fields of expertise shared by all contributors.'; 'Discovering Cosmetic Science is current, relevant and scientifically accurate.'; 'The book’s content is of practical relevance; in this book, the reader will not find obsolete information or impractical theories, but instead will find established scientific knowledge that is used daily by cosmetic scientists for creating cosmetic products.' -- Diogo Baltazar * International Journal Cosmetic Science *Table of ContentsIntroduction; Clean Chemistry: The Science behind Cleansing Products; Good Hair Day: The Science behind Hair-care Products; Oral Care - A Mouthful of Chemistry; You against the World! - The Science behind Skin and Skin Care Products; More than a Smudge of Colour - The Science behind Colour Cosmetics; Follow the Scent - The Science behind the Fragrance in Products; The Inside Story - The Science behind Active Ingredients; Testing and More Testing - The Science behind Keeping Your Skin Safe and Healthy; Myths and Scares - Science in Perspective

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Book Synopsis***By the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of THE FIVE***'A fascinating expose of the seamy side of eighteenth century life' MAIL ON SUNDAY'Rubenhold's pages practically reek with smelly, pox-ridden Georgian Soho' GUARDIAN-------------------------------------------------------In 1757, a down-and-out Irish poet, the head waiter at the Shakespear's Head Tavern in Covent Garden, and a celebrated London courtesan became bound together by the publication of a little book: Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies. This salacious work - detailing the names and 'specialities' of the capital's sex-workers- became one of the eighteenth century's most scandalous bestsellers.Yet beyond its titillating passages lies a glimpse into the lives of those who lived and died by its profits - a tragicomic opera of the Georgian era, motivated by poverty, passionate love, aspiration and shame. In this modern and visceral narrative, historian Hallie Rubenhold reveals the story behind Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies, and the legion of ordinary women whose lives in the sex trade history has chosen to ignore. 'Scrupulously researched' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Crackles with drama and tension' GUARDIAN'Compelling and ingenious' INDEPENDENTWHAT READERS ARE SAYING:'This book is an absolute 'must'-read for any person interested in English social history' 5 ****'Fascinating' 5 ****'Brilliant. Full of intelligent insight which brings this period to vibrant life' 5 ****

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Book Synopsis'Understanding our nervous system and somatic healing hold the key for many of us in overcoming anxiety - Anna's book shows us the way.'Chloe Brotheridge - bestselling author of The Anxiety Solution.Harness the power of your vagus nerve to reduce stress, overcome anxiety and release past trauma Feeling anxious and disconnected are signs of a nervous system that's out of balance. Something as small as a curt message from our boss can be perceived by our bodies as a threat to life. By understanding our physiological stress response, we can override and heal our emotional response, and fix the behaviours sabotaging our health and happiness.In The Vagus Nerve Reset, Anna Ferguson offers somatic therapies alongside the science of Polyvagal Theory, to help us train our nervous system to stop overreacting, and start responding more calmly to day-to-day stressors and heal past experiences. Anna provides practical, immediate ways to unlock a mindful connection with our bodies, helping us become more aware of our nervous system and notice what derails us - and transform the way we respond to every kind of challenge in life.By tuning into our vagus nerve we can gently shape our nervous system for greater resilience. This will have profound long-term positive influence on our overall health and wellbeing, providing relief from debilitating anxiety and symptoms of chronic illness.Including a programme of mindful movement, breathwork and meditation, journalling, and more, this comprehensive guide allows us to find anchors of safety amongst the chaos, reclaim a sense of control and step into the most confident, resilient and grounded version of ourselves.Trade ReviewAnna invites such warmth and compassion, to bring a level of healing that feels accessible. Her words are a gift for you to help reclaim back your life and to understand yourself from a body wisdom perspective in a way that enables you to take back control. If you're struggling with stress, anxiety, depression or simply want to understand how your body acts the way it does then this book is for you. It's packed with exercises and theory that leaves you feeling informed. A must read for anyone who needs some clarity on navigating life in a healthier, healed way. * Helen Marie, Therapist and author of Choose You *Anna’s book gently takes you by the hand, walking you through understanding trauma and how to give your nervous system the self-love and care it deserves. * Tasha Bailey, Psychotherapist and author of Real Talk Therapy *An invaluable book that's part of the new age of health care, where stress and trauma are given the attention they deserve, and where the power is reclaimed by the patient who is supported in cultivating a relationship with their own nervous system. * Dr Larisa Corda, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Author of The Conception Plan *

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Book Synopsis'Generous, moving and alive. A gift' - Tim Dee, author of Greenery'Intelligent, thought-provoking and always, always interesting' - Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment'Smyth writes with warmth and engaging perception about our relationship and understanding of the natural world on our doorsteps' - Jon Dunn, author of The Glitter in the Green'Fresh and tender and playful' - Patrick Galbraith, author of In Search of One Last SongWeren't they richer, rock pools, wasn't the seashore busier, when I was a kid?Richard Smyth had always been drawn to the natural world, but when he became a father he found a new joy and a new urgency in showing his kids the everyday wild things around them. As he and his children explore rockpools in Whitley Bay, or the woods and moors near his Yorkshire home, he imagines the world they might inhabit as they grow up. Through different objects discovered on their wanderings - a beech leaf, a jay feather, a limpetshell - Smyth examines his own past as well as that of the early natural historians, weaving together history, memoir, and environmentalism to form a new kind of nature writing: one that asks both what we have lost, and what we have yet to find.Trade ReviewAll children are born naturalists and wedded to the living world. One of the tragedies of modern human life is that adulthood demands that we forget or suppress or deny this first love. By watching human nature: seeing his children become themselves, reporting on curious naturalists of old, reflecting on his own evolution as a nature-lover, Richard Smyth has been able to take steps towards rewilding himself and doing so he offers us all the chance to recover our inner animal selves. This is a touching book in all senses of the word, it is his tenderest book yet, and his truest. Generous, moving and alive. A gift. -- Tim Dee, author of GREENERYIntelligent, thought-provoking and always, always interesting. Children are full of wonder but they are also full of questions, forcing us to look afresh at the world around us. What I love about Richard Smyth's writing is his willingness to engage with moral grey areas - the uncomfortable and the unexpected. He also makes me laugh. Dark and light: that's what I want from a book -- Cal Flyn, author of ISLANDS OF ABANDONMENTA searching study of the nature of curiosity, and the curiosity of nature, Smyth writes with warmth and engaging perception about our relationship and understanding of the natural world on our doorsteps -- Jon Dunn, author of THE GLITTER IN THE GREENFresh and tender and playful. In truth, a book about sharing the wonders of nature with your kids could be the ickiest thing going, but it isn't that at all. It's about society and love and identity but it's also a raw exploration of the way that children experience the world and the way that those experiences challenge adult self-delusion. Nature writing can be earnest and handwringing but this book isn't: I laughed and laughed. I imagine it wasn't Smyth's intention to write a call to breed but it's hard to read The Jay, the Beech and the Limpetshell without thinking that really we should all have some children, to avoid missing out on the joy of showing them finches in the park -- Patrick Galbraith, author of IN SEARCH OF ONE LAST SONGA delightfully irreverent, charming and hilarious guide on how to engage young children with nature, written with a real understanding of the way they experience the world -- Stephen Moss, author of TEN BIRDS THAT CHANGED THE WORLDRichard Smyth mixes up a rollicking and compulsively readable cocktail of memoir, environmental history, and tips for the nature-minded parent. Irreverent and earnest in perfect measure, The Jay, The Beech and the Limpetshell is, at heart, an ode to wonder -- Thor Hanson, author of BUZZ and HURRICANE LIZARDS AND PLASTIC SQUIDThe Jay, The Beech and the Limpetshell is a marvellous book, in that it is full of marvels. Richard's prose is one such marvel: fast-paced, musical, and frequently very funny. So too his erudition and seemingly effortless range of reference. Most marvellous of all, though, is his loving, achingly honest commitment to bequeathing his children a world at which to marvel -- Nick Acheson, author of THE MEANING OF GEESEDazzling and moving. -- The Times Literary Supplement

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Book Synopsis'Charming, touching and very very funny' Jenny Colgan'Simply too good' Daily MailFrom the author of the Times bestselling A Chip Shop in PoznanONE HOUSE. TWO HOUSEMATES. THREE REASONS TO WORRY: WINNIE AND BEN ARE SEPARATED BY 50 YEARS, A GULF IN CLASS, AND MAJOR DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.When hunting for a room in London, Ben Aitken came across one for a great price in a lovely part of town. There had to be a catch. And there was. The catch was Winnie: an 85-year-old widow who doesn't suffer fools.Full of warmth, wit and candour, The Marmalade Diaries tells the story of an unlikely friendship during an unlikely time. Imagine an intergenerational version of Big Brother, but with only two contestants. One of the pair a grieving and inflexible former aristocrat in her mid-eighties. The other a working-class millennial snowflake. What could possibly go wrong? What could possibly go right?Out of the most inauspicious of soils - and from the author of The Gran Tour - comes a book about grief, family, friendship, loneliness, life, love, lockdown and marmalade.Trade ReviewCharming, touching and very very funny * Jenny Colgan *Displays a keen eye for the humour of everyday life ... underneath it all is the wonderful story of two people born half a century apart, learning lessons from each other. * Daily Mail *

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